Channeling-machine



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(No Model.) 5

A.BALL. GHANNBLING MACHINE. 'I

N o. 555,633. Y y Patented Mar. 3, 18,96.

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(No Model.)

J5.1315141.. l GHANNELING MACHINE.

Patented Mar.' 3, V1896.

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(No Model.)

PLBML GHANNELING MACHINE. I No. 555,633. Patented Mar. 3, 1896.

l/fog UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

-ALBERT BALL, OF CLAREMONT, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO THE SULLI- VAN MACHINERY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE AND CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CHANNELING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,633, dated March 3, 1896.

Application filed August 28, 1894. Serial No. 521,558. (No model.)

4and use my invention, I will describe the same more fully, referring` to the accompanying drawings, in'which- Figure l is a plan view, partly in section, of the channeling-machine. Fig. 2 is an end view of the machine. Fig. 3 is a detaillongitudinal section of the ball-bearing for the support of the driving-shaft. Fig. 4 is a detail section of the clamp connection between the driving-wheel and driving-shaft. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line 5 5, Fig. 4, a part only of the driving-wheel being shown. Fig. 6 is an end view, partly in section, of the channeling-engine and supporting-standard and the mechanism for driving the same. Fig. 7 is a face view of the same, and Figs. 8 to 14, inclusive, are detail views of the parts of the mechanism for raising and moving the channeling-engine vertically and adjusting the parts requiredvfor -such purpose, as will be hereinafter described.

Similar reference-figures refer to' similar parts in each. v

I will first describe the general frame of the machine and the parts foi` moving the same along the track and then describe the mechanism for raising and lowering the channelingengine and its bits.

The frame 5l of the machine is constructed in the usual way, with a central seat or support 90 for the boiler, which is not shown, the front beam of the machine-frame being shown at 52 and the machine-frame being mounted on VJthe axles 76 in suitable bearings-or boxes 77 78 and carrying at the ends thereof the anged wheels '79, rigid on the axles, which travel on the tracks 80, it of course being understood that such track is adjustable so as to guide the channeling-machine along the desired course and that before a new cut is to be made this track is adjusted to the desired position. The boxes 7 8 form the bearing for the shafts 76 at the rear of the ma- 55 chine, while at the front of the machine such shafts are journaled in the boxes 77, the upper parts of which are formed with or rigidly secured to the machine, While the lower parts,

7 7 serve the double purpose of inclosing the 6o axles and also inclosin g the wheels 46 through which the axles are driven. The axles 76, with their wheels 7 9, will be hereinafter referred to as the trucks for supporting the main frame. Extending longitudinally of the main frame is the driving-shaft or wormshaft 7l which carries the worms 45 engaging with the worm-wheels 46 on the trucks and serves to impart motion to the trucks from the driving-shaft. This driving-shaft is 7o mounted in bearings 47 in the main frame. Its end thrust or movement is controlled in the manner hereinafter described.

The worms 45 are keyed to the shaft 7l by means of keys 71, which also hold from turn- 7 5 ing the quill or sleeve 49, fitting around said shaft and supporting the ball-bearing hereinafter described. This driving-shaft has secured thereon the collar 83, which serves as a friction-surface to connect the driving- 8o wheel 65 therewith. Such driving-wheel 65 is a gear-wheel and meshes with the gearwheel 66 on the engine-shaft 67, the engine 68 being supported on the main frame, and the engine illustrated being a rotary engine which can be reversed as desired, it being understood, however, that any suitable form of engine, whether reversible or not, can be employed, and that if a non-reversible engine is employed suitable reversing-gears are em- 9o ployed to provide for the driving of the machine parts in opposite directions. The engine 68 shown has the reverse-lever 7 0, which operates the reversing mechanism through the valve-stem 69.

The construction of the peculiar clutch mechanism to be employed between the driving-shaft 7l and the driving-wheel 65 will now be described.

The driving-wheel 65 has the long hub 90 roo at the opposite side of the collar S3 the driving-shaft has the loose hub 88, which bears against the main frame and assists in holding the gear centrally on the shaft, and also retains the friction-band 87 within the enlarged portion 91 of the hub 90 of the drivingwheel and around the friction-collar 83. The friction-band 87 lits around said friction-collar 83 within the large hub portion 91 and has the lugs 84 and S5 thereon, one lug being engaged by the set-screw in the driving-wheel, which provides for the adjusting of the band around the friction-collar and takes up the wear on the band and collar. The other lug, 85, extends upwardly into the seat 92, formed in the driving-wheel 65 for the reception of the shaft S9 of the friction clutch-lever G4, which lever {it-s within the seat 92 and has a recess 93 formed therein, which forms a cam in said shaft 89 to act upon the lng 85 of the friction-clutch 87, so that by the turning of theclutch-lcver in the manner hereinafter described the friction-band 87 maybe tightened around the friction-collar S3 in such way as to hold the driving-wheel G5 to the drivingshaft 71. The spring 63,connected to the d rivin g-wheel 65 and friction clutch-lever 64, acts to hold the clutch-lever in such position as to leave the friction-band loose around the friction-collar. The clutch-lever is operated in the following way: Sliding on the long hub 90 of the driving-wheel by splined connection 59 is the spool 58, in which the fork 51 of the hand-lever 02 engages so as to operate such spool or slide 58 to enable the clutch to connect the driving-wheel to the driving-shaft 7l or to connect it to the bevel-pinion 56 to operate the mechanism for raising and lowering the ehanneli11g-engine hereinafter referred to. This spool 58 has at one end thereof the inclined portion or cone 60, engaging with the friction clutch-lever, and on the other side a clutch-face to engage with clutch-face 57 of the bevel-gear 5G.

It will be seen that the friction-clutch lever 64 extends over the cone 60 of the spool in such position that when said spool is moved longitudinally on the hub 90 of the drivingwheel it will travel up the cone, which will act to turn the shaft 89 and draw the frictionband `87 `around the friction-collar 83, so connecting said driving-wheel G5 to the drivingshaft 71. When, however, the spool 58 is moved in opposite direction, the lever G4 passes down toward the smaller `end of the cone and the spring 63 withdraws the camface of the lever-shaft 89 from the lug 85 and so frees the friction-band from pressure. In such clutch connection it will be seen that though the spool is rotating with the drivingwheel it is under full control of the lever (52 through the spool 5S sliding longitudinally on the hub to connect or disconnect the drivingwheel or driving-shaft.

lt is to be understood of course that the driving-wheel turning the worms 45 to move the machine along the track is subject to considerable end-thrust. It is very desirable that the mechanism for mounting and supporting the shaft against such endthrust should be easily adjusted and easily removed, and, further, that when so removed the parts forming the antifriction-bearing shall be held in place so that the balls forming part of said bearin g shall not be permitted to escape. To meet these requirements I have employed the bearing illustrated in Figs. l an'd 3, the worm 45 being keyed to shaft 7l and beyond the same the ball-bearing fitting around such shaft and being sustained against end-thrust by the annular thrust-block 40 engaging with the machine-frame. These parts are preferably constructed in the following way: rlhe quill or sleeve 49 lits around the driving-shaft 7l and is keyed loosely thereto by the key 71, which also serves to key the worm 45 to said shaft, and litting around said sleeve and secured thereto by the pin 45 is the collar 44 against which the friction-plate 41 fits, said frictionplate having thereon retaining-band 42, while beyond the same is the friction-plate 41, which is mounted loosely on the sleeve 49, the friction-balls 48 being confined between the friction-plates 4l and 4l and within the band 42, as clearly shown in Fig. 8. It is to be noticed that the sleeve 49 has at its rear end and beyond the friction-plate 41 the liange which prevents such movement of said friction-plate 4l as to permit the escape of the balls 4S. This ball-bearing can therefore `be built up bypassing the friction-plate 41 over the sleeve 49 and the friction-plate 41 with its band 42 around the same, inserting the balls and securing thecollar 44 to the sleeve by the pin 44'. This whole ball-bearing can thus be withdrawn from said shaft when desirable for repairs orfor the insertion of a new ball-bearing.

'lo sustain the end-thrust of the shaft, or rather the end-thrust upon the worm 45 upon the shaft, I employ the annular block 40 having a threaded outer surface screwing into a threaded seat on the machine-frame against the friction-plate 41, said threaded thrustblock being screwed to place by any suitable means, such as by seats 40 on its outer face, with which a suitable wrench may engage, said seats 40 also forming locking-seats to receive the locking-strap 43 which enters such seats and is secured to machine-frame by a bolt, and provides for the lookin g of the thrustblock in any desired position. When it is desired to adjust the friction-bearing to take up wear or for other purposes, it can be turned by the wrench and again locked in place. It can also be quickly removed and the ballbearing slipped from the drivin g-shaft and another inserted in its place, these bearings, which are subjected to considerable strain, being constructed so that but little time is rcquired to adjust or replace them.

In the ordinary operation of a channelingmachine the screw-bar for adjusting the eh annelin g-en gine has been operated by hand and IOO IIO

as it is required that it be adjusted only at the ends of the movement of the main frame so as to lower the bits for the next cut of the machine, and the depth of such cut is regulated according to the hardness of the stone or rock on which the machine is operated, such hand-adjustment is found the best arrangement for such purpose. Considerable labor is thrown upon the operator, however, in raising up the channeling-engine after it has eut for the desired depth so as to insert the longer channelingbits, and in again lowering the channeling engine and bits int-o position to resume the channeling operation, no efficient power means for this purpose having heretofore been devised. I have provided for accomplishing this result means for adjusting the screw-bar employed so as to hold it in properline with the engine and take up wear, which will nowbe described. 1

The standard or channeling frame 1,whic.h carries the cylinder cross-head' and down-feed works7 is secured to the main frame 51 tting over and resting upon the front beam 52 thereof and having a flange 26 extending over the front beam and resting thereon, and the' bottom flange 27 extending under such front beam, such flanges connecting the standard with the main frame, and the gib being secured to the flange 7 6 by bolts and extending down the rear face of the front beam 52 of the main frame to hold the standard upon the main frame when sliding it along the same ,to adjust it to position thereon. 'Io further lock the standard to the main frame, I employ the eyebolt 82, which passes through a lug 82' extending out from the standard above the flange 26, said eyebolt depending behind the front beam of the main frame and the cap-screw 81 passing through the eyebolt 82 and screwing into the standard to hold it back to place against the front beam 52.

The steam-cylinder 2 and the cross-head 18 are mounted in the side guides 6 on the standard 1, the cross-head reciprocating in the said side guides, which are held to the standard by cap-screws 25. connected to the piston-rod 7 of the piston operated by the steam-cylinder 2, and the bits 28 are clamped in the cross-head. The standard 1 extends over and above the engine 2. Working in the feed-nut 12 mounted in the standard is the screw-bar 19, by which the engine is raised and lowered, this screwbar being connected at its lower end to the feed-plate Ll, which rests in the top cylinderhead 3, the cylinder-bolts 5 extending through the feed-plate and the heads of the cylinder, and it is to be noted that the bolt-holes 21 in the feed-plate are of larger diameter than those of the cylinder-head 3, which is ofconsiderable importance, because it permits of the adjustment of the feed-plate with relation to the cylinder so as to hold the set-screw in exact position in relation to its feeding mechanism, hereinafter described, and yet permits of the taking up of wear between the The cross-head 18 isy bearings of the cylinder and the guideways 6 in which the cylinder is mounted, such enlarged bolt-holes 21 giving suliicient space for such adjustment when necessary. The screwbar passes through the feed-nut 12, which is mounted in the standard, and is turned by the bevel-pinion 8 connected to the feed-nut, the bevel-pinion 14 on the shaft 11 meshing with the pinion 8 and turning the same. Said shaft 11 carries a sprocket or band wheel15, which by means of a sprocket chain or band 71 is turned by the sprocket or band wheel 53 on the sleeve 54C, which is mounted on the stud 73 and carries at its other end the bevelgear 55 meshing with the bevel-gear 56 runnin g loosely on the power-shaft 71. The feednut 12 is therefore driven from the spool 58, which engages with the clutch-face 57 on the bevel-pinion 56, means being thus provided from the auxiliary engine 68 to rapidly rotate the feed-nut and so raise or lower the chan- It is of course to be under-v heling-engine. stood that when the spool 58 is not in engagement with the pinion 56 the machine can be fed by hand, the operator simply turning the wheel l5 for the desired feed and so turning the feed-nut, while at the same time he moves the pinions 55 and 56 through the band 71.

On account of the severe strain thrown upon the feed-nut through the rapid and constant stroke of the channeling-engine, it is very desirable that it should be so mounted that, while it can be easily turned, it will be supported against end motion and may be adjusted to take up the lost motion between the screw-bar and the driving-nut 12. I therefore mount the parts in the following way: The feed-nut 12 has at its upper end a threaded face 22 around which the clamp-nut 16 screws. Such clamp-nut when firmly securedl in place rests upon the upper face of the standard and gives support to the screw-bar. This clamp-nut 16 has the slot 2O formed therein, and the clamp-bolt 13 passes through lugs on the clamp-nut to clamp the same irmly around the threaded face 22 of the feed-nut 12. The driving gear 8 also screws onto the feed-nut, having an interior threaded boss which screws onto the threaded boss 23 on the lower part of the feed-nut, and said gear 8 is afterward keyed to the feed-nut by a key 30 passing into keyway 24 in the gear and in the feed-nut. The bevelgear 8 has a clamp formed as an extension thereof below the gear-face in which the takeup nut 17 is clamped after it is screwed up upon the screw-bar 19, said clamp 9 having the longitudinal slot 10 formed therein and a clamping-bolt passing through lugs on this clamp portion so as to cause the same to bind firmly around the take-up nut 17. This provides an efficient means of taking up the lost motion between the screw-bar and the feednut, which is always liable to occur in machines subjected to the continuous jarring of these channeling-machines,which would naturally cause wear between the feed-nut and IOO IIO

screw-bar and permit of a slight play or lost motion, which lost motion would, of course, affect the stroke of the engine and the tools operated thereby. This is overcome by means of the take-up nut 17, it being only necessary to loosen the clamp 9 of the gear S suficiently to permit the take-up nut 17 to be screwed up against the lower face of the feednut 12 and again to clamp the take-up nut 17 iirmly in the gear 8, in which ease all lost motion is overcome by the take-up nut.

In the use of the machine as above described connections are made from the portable boiler carried on the main frame to the auxiliary engine GS and also to the channeling or reciprocating engine 2. The machine .is then ready for use, steam being generated in the lboiler and passing through such pipe connections to the engines. The whole machine is advanced along the track through the driving-shaft 71 by the auxiliary engine 68, through the gear-wheel 66 driving the gear-wheel G5 on the shaft 71. I have termed the gear-wheel (l5 the drive-wheel. Vhen it is desired to feed the machine along the track the operator, through the lever (55?,slides the spool 58 along the hub 90 of the drivinggear, so that the cone 60 acts upon the lever (A and in the manner above described clamps the friction-strap 87 around the friction-collar 83 connecting the driving-wheel 65 to the driving-shaft 71. The driving-shaft, through its Worms 45, turns the axle 76 and the wheels 79 upon the tracks 80, the thrust or strain upon the driving-shaft in this operation being sustained by the ball-bearings above described.

The movement of the machine may be reversed by reversing the engine G8, the other parts remaining the same, but the strain upon the driving-shaft being of course transferred to the ball-bearing at the other end of the machine. lVhen it is desired to prepare for the channeling operation the spool 58 is thrown into engagement with the bevelgear 5G, which, through the mechanism above described,rotates the bevel-gear S and with it the feed-nut 12 around the feed-screw 19, raising the channeling-engine in this way, and the bits being clamped on the cross-head 1S when the machine is ready for work. By the same mechanism and the reversal of the engine the channeling-engine may be lowered into position for the channeling-eut, and the spool disengaged from the bevel-gear 56, and when it is desired to move the machine for the regular channeling action the spool is thrown in the opposite direction to connect the driving-- gear G5 and the driving-shaft 71, and as the channeling-engine acts to give the stroke to the channeling-bits the machine is fed along 011 the track. When it reaches the end of the track through the wheel 15 the feed-screw is turned by hand to lower the channelingengine the desired distance, and the engine G8 is reversed and the machine carried in the opposite direction, this being continued until the cut of the desired depth with those channeling-bits is made and it is desired to employ a new set of bits. The operator then throws the spool 58 into engagement with bevel-gear 5G, and through the mechanism above described rotates the feed-screw 12 around the screw-bar 19 and raises the engine, and when the new set of bits is inserted lowers it by the same means, and then connects the mechanisln to feed the machine along the track and continues the channeling operation as above described.

During such operation above described the ball-bearing can be adjusted as desired and moved from the shaft when necessary either for repair or other purposes, without separating the parts forming the ball-bearing. In case the friction-clamp 87 or friction-collar becomes worn such wear can be taken up through the set-screw 86. In case of wear between the clamping-nut 16 or the bevelgear 8 and the standard, such wear can be taken up by loosening the clamping-nut 16 and screwing it around the feed-nut l2 and again clamping the nut 16, and in case of lost motion in the shaft 19 such lost motion can be taken up by the take-up nut 17, which is adjusted to take up the same by loosening clamp 9 in the hub of the bevel-gear S, screwing up the take-np nut 17 and again clamping it into place. To take up the wear of the engine in its guides it is of course necessary to adjust the guides G for that purpose, which may affect the position of the cylinder in the channeling-engine and the feeding-screws 19. This is provided for by the adjustment of the feed-plate to which the `feed-screw is attached with relation to the cylinder-head by loosening the cylinder-bolts 5 and adjusting the position of the feed-plate of the cylinder, the enlarged bolt-holes 2l of the feed-plate 4 providing for such adjustment, and the parts being again clamped together by the bolts 5.

In this way I am enabled to provide for the driving of the machine by power, and through the same mechanism for the movement of the channeling-engine by power in all operations except the ordinary slight feed for each `cutting of the channeling-bits, which must be regulated according to the hardness of the material operated upon, and therefore is best performed by hand. I am also enabled to provide for the operation of the machine with but little friction, to provide access to all of the parts quickly, and to take up all lost motion and adjust the parts to the best position for workin g by the simplest and easiest of operations.

lVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a main frame having trucks traveling on a track, a channeling-engine mounted on a frame and operating challneling-bits, an auxiliary engine on the main frame turning a driving-wheel around a shaft to be driven thereby and from which shaft the trucks are driven, a clamp connection IOC) IIO

between the driving-wheel and the shaft on which it is mounted, and a clutch between said driving-wheel and feed mechanism operating to move the channeling-engine longitudinally, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a main frame having a channeling-frame and a channeling-engine mounted to slide thereon and carrying the channeling-bits, and a feeding screw-bar connected to a feed-plate which is in turn connected to and laterally adjustable with relation to the cylinder of the engine, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a main frame having a channeling-frame, a channelingengine mounted to slide thereon and carrying the channeling-bits, afeeding screw-bar connected to a feed-plate and a feed-plate connected to the screw-bar having enlarged bolt-holes therein and adapted to contact with the cylinder-head and lbe held by the cylinder-bolts, said feed-plate being laterally adjustable with the cylinder-head through such enlarged boltholes, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a frame having the channeling-engine mounted to slide thereon land carrying the channeling-bits, a screw-bar tudinally, and having means for clamping the same to the feed-nut, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a frame having a channeling-engine mounted to slide therein and carrying the channeling-bits, a screw-bar connected to the engine-cylinder, a feed-nut mounted in the frame and having threaded outer surfaces at each end, a'clamping-nut adapted to screw onto the upper threaded surface of the nut and be clamped thereon, and a gear-wheel adapted to screw on the lower threaded surface of the nut and be keyed thereto, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of a frame, a channeling-engine mounted to slide thereon and carrying the channeling-bits, a screw-bar connected to the engine-cylinder, a feed-nut mounted in the frame, and engaging with the screw-bar and carrying a gear-wheel, said gear-wheel having a clamp at the lower end thereof, and a take-up nut within the screwbar below the feed-nut and adapted to be held by the clamp of the gear-wheel, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said ALBERT BALL, have hereunto set my hand.

ALBERT BALL.

Vitnesses: FRANK A. BALL, H. H. MERCER. 

